Raise the Line

The Role of Social Prescribing in Treatment of Chronic Illness: Special Series from The Cohen Center for Recovery from Complex Chronic Illnesses at Mount Sinai


Listen Later

Last year’s declaration by the U.S Surgeon General that loneliness and isolation are a public health crisis was based on research showing that they have a negative impact on mental health, blood pressure, cognitive performance and, most relevant to our discussion today on Raise the Line, immune system function. That’s why it’s important for people dealing with chronic illnesses to stay socially connected at whatever level they are capable of, says our guest Dr. Rose Perry, a neuroscientist and executive director of an applied research non-profit called Social Creatures. “When your symptoms aren't good, being isolated can be like throwing gasoline on the fire. I don't think lack of social connection is a cause of chronic illness, it's really about setting conditions that make healing maximally possible,” she says. At Social Creatures, Dr. Perry and her team create programs designed to help populations at risk for social isolation feel like they are connected and supported.  As she explains to host Raven Baxter of the Cohen Center for Recovery from Complex Chronic Illnesses at Mount Sinai, providers should be aware of programs like hers and affinity groups (e.g. knitting clubs) in their locality and engage in “social prescribing” as part of a treatment plan. “A lot of doctors will develop a resource list so they can pull it up and then kind of matchmake their patient with an organization.” Don’t miss this final episode in our special series on Post-Acute Infection Syndromes where you’ll hear about practical strategies providers can use to help address an often overlooked factor in someone’s ability to be as healthy as possible. 

Mentioned in this episode:

Mount Sinai Health System 

Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation 

If you like this podcast, please share it on your social channels. You can also subscribe to the series and check out all of our episodes at www.osmosis.org/raisethelinepodcast

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Raise the LineBy Osmosis from Elsevier

  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9

4.9

61 ratings


More shows like Raise the Line

View all
The Daily by The New York Times

The Daily

111,352 Listeners

Feel Better, Live More with Dr Rangan Chatterjee by Dr Rangan Chatterjee: GP & Author

Feel Better, Live More with Dr Rangan Chatterjee

4,034 Listeners

The Peter Attia Drive by Peter Attia, MD

The Peter Attia Drive

7,947 Listeners

Americast by BBC News

Americast

739 Listeners

The Ezra Klein Show by New York Times Opinion

The Ezra Klein Show

15,229 Listeners

Long Covid Podcast by Jackie Baxter

Long Covid Podcast

61 Listeners

Ukraine: The Latest by The Telegraph

Ukraine: The Latest

1,799 Listeners